Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Review

Studio Tests

The Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM turns in an exceptional performance in our studio tests, in essence matching a selection of high quality primes. It's remarkably sharp, even wide open, and both chromatic aberration and vignetting are relatively low. Distortion is kept pretty well under control too. Overall this is very, very impressive indeed.

Sharpness

The 18-35mm is remarkably sharp even wide open at F1.8, and in the wider half of its range (18-24mm), there's no measurable increase on stopping down (i.e. the lens is effectively diffraction limited). At the longer end (28-35mm) there's a slight improvement in sharpness on stopping down to F4, but in practice it's unlikely to be especially noticeable. For an F1.8 zoom, this is little short of astonishing.

Chromatic Aberration

Lateral chromatic aberration is pretty low. The graphs indicate a little green/magenta fringing at wideangle, and moderately strong blue/yellow fringing in the middle of the range (note though that this tends to be visually less intrusive). At the long end, chromatic aberration is essentially nonexistent.

Vignetting

Vignetting is remarkably low for such a fast lens, reaching just 1.3 stops wide open at all focal lengths. It also essentially disappears by F2.8. Overall it's unlikely ever to be problematic in real-world use.

Distortion

Distortion is kept reasonably well under control - it certainly doesn't exceed what we'd expect for this kind of lens. There's visible barrel distortion at wideangle, turning to pincushion distortion at the long end, but no more than you'd get from any other premium standard zoom.

Lens test data compared

To get a bit more perspective on just how good the 18-35mm is, let's compare it to a couple of benchmark lenses, using the comparison tool in our lens data widget. Click on the images below to open side-by-side comparisons in a new window or tab.

Compared to Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM

The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM impressed us hugely when we reviewed it at the end of last year, and is probably the sharpest 35mm F1.4 prime on the market. When tested on the same camera, the zoom may be just fractionally less sharp at large apertures, but you probably wouldn't see any difference in real world shooting. The zoom also has slightly higher vignetting and distortion, but lower chromatic aberration. From this data, you'd be hard pushed to see any meaningful differences between the two in side-by-side shooting. Remember this is the 18-35mm's weakest focal length.

Compared to Tamron 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD

The Tamron 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD is probably the best value fast 'normal' zoom for full frame cameras, and like the Sigma 35mm F1.4, we had no hesitation in awarding it a Gold Award in our recent review. Not only does it offer built-in image stabilization, optically it comes as near as makes no difference to its Canon and Nikon counterparts, which are both much more expensive.

These lenses can be compared in several different ways, but its clear that regardless of whether we look at them them both tested on the same camera body, or at how the Sigma on APS-C compares to the Tamron on full frame, the 18-35mm easily holds its own in these studio tests.

Compared to Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Canon's EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a highly regarded fast normal zoom for APS-C SLRs, and in comparison to the Sigma, offers an extended zoom range and built-in image stabilization, which makes it a very flexible lens indeed. But when we compare the two purely in terms of image quality, it's clear that not only is the Sigma noticeably sharper than the Canon when both are set to F2.8, it's actually sharper at F1.8 than the Canon is at F2.8. In all other respects, it matches up well too.

I have purchased the sigma 18-35 f1.8 lens a week ago in a Pentax mount.My current DSLR is a Pentax K3.I have taken some 300 shots already.This lens is amassing !There are no focussing problems with my pentax K3 – the lens is very sharp wide opened at f1.8.I have shoot some tests using a measuring tape, etc and some more : no real front focus or back focus issues.The calibration dock will arrive in 4 weeks (free from sigma – bonus) so far I do not see the need for it.The lens is heavy and built like a tank.Mechanical quality is in a class of its own.Focus is very fast and silent.I am amazed. This is my best lens so far.My other pentax mount lenses: sigma 10-20, sigma 30 f1.4, sigma 17-70, pentax 50 f1.4, tamron 17-50 f2.8, pentax 50-135 f2.8.Of course when shooting wide opened the focussing is more dicey but we have to be reasonable here - this lens when used with pentax K3 really performs !

1) I'm glad your expensive purchase is working out for you. Seriously, I know what it feels like to get something good and I am glad you feel that way about this. 2) Weight has nothing to do with quality. For all you know they might have added rocks, just to make it heavier. I have found a flash with a lump of metal inside which did nothing except add weight to a grip. Lets wait 10 years and see how it holds up. That makes more sense then weight.

Maybe the secret is in the use of this lens on the M4/3 mount. With a couple of electronic EF to M4/3 adapters you can have a FF fov equivalent 36-70mm f1.8 and a focal reduced (near aps-c) 26-50mm f1.2 FF fov equivalent as well.

Curious, the lens seems to perform much better on the Nikon D7100 than on the Canon 7D. I'm not comparing magnitudes--I know that those cross-platform comparisons are a no-no--, rather the performance is qualitatively difference. The Canon sample does get much sharper when stopped down, and is very even from edge-to-edge. By contrast, the D7100 sample gets (much) sharper at every FL when stopped down to f/4, and the center is much sharper than the edges, again at f/4.

I noticed that the lens tested on the D7000 performed similarly to the 7D. So, was this an unusual lens? If so, LOL, how do I get one from that batch? Or is there another explanation? My fear is that there may be significant sample variation, and with my luck I'd get on on the left end of the distribution.

Hi, Has any one had any issues with motor noise from this lens when shooting video? I have tried filming on my 70D, with autofocus engaged and using the camera's microphone; the result is sadly disappointing. The picture quality is amazing but the constant little clicks and clunks when focussing are more than annoying.

Are these noises to be expected? The Canon kit lens in comparison is beautifully silent!

People in the RED user forum were raving about this lens as repackaged as "G.L Optics 18-35mm T2.0 Rehoused Super Speed Zoom Lens".. physically, it looked impressive, but these shots have horrible amounts of CA and geometric distortion. Only the corrected shots look close in quality to those of my Sony 28-135 G lens, which is, for intents and purposes, perfect in terms of image quality. I just need a lens to fill the wider end of the spectrum, which there's an unfilled gap. So I heard about this lens and luckily, this review told me everything I need to know.. as a 4K shooter, I must look elsewhere. This lens gives you what you pay for, but not magically more than that.

This is an excellent lens. I've been using it for a month now and it really allows me to get shots I wouldn't have been able to before because of the F/1.8 capability. I don't normally shoot at f/1.8 but instead shoot at f/2.8 or higher to get the maximum sharpness from this lens. It is a little soft at f/1.8 as you would expect. Overall, a great lens. Super sharp.

Great, i just ordered this lens for my 60D because i do a lot of low light work. Gonna test it out today when i get it. Guess i should have read the review here first. Anyone DON'T have issues with a 60D ?

Bought this lens and spent my whole weekend trying to adjust the AF. the lens keeps front focus on wide angle. Went to my dealer and got a 2nd copy and same result. The problem is not the adjustment, it's repeatability. Exchange the 2nd copy for a EFS 17-55 and it works great straight to of the box. After the issue with Nikon D600 and oil leak, DPR should spend some time on the reliability subject before giving Gold award.

Personally, I carry the Sigma 50-150mm OS and the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. The 50-150mm gives amazing quality if you are willing to lug it around(It's a fast, beautiful brick). The Tokina is a very good lens for wideangle and better optically and faster than current Sigma/Canon offerings, Though you pay in reduced range.

Put this lens on an a6000, or any other camera that uses phase detect on the sensor, and there will be no focus issues! This is a DSLR problem. It can be overcome by focussing manually, or using live view. I know that is not a good answer. Bottom line: This lens is probably not suitable for DSLR shooters not willing to go the extra mile for the sake of stellar optical performance. You could get about equal performance from 16, 24, and 35mm primes. But that wouldn't be anywhere near as convenient. And it would cost way way more. No one else has done what Sigma has done here: they made a zoom as good as 3 fast primes for a pittance. Thanks you Sigma. That is downright amazing.

" What's more, it will also offer effectively the same light-gathering capability as an F2.8 lens on full frame. By this we mean that it will be able to project an image that's just over twice as bright onto a sensor that's slightly less than half the area, meaning the same total amount of light is used to capture the image."

If I understand Tony Northrup right it does not have the same light-gathering capability as FF 2.8 at the same Iso. There will be more noise, right?

I have tested this lens on my Canon 6D. It does undergo vignetting, but it is correctable. This lens is usable on a FF from 24-35. At 1.8, it does gather more light towards the center than my Tamron 24-70 SP 2.8 and Tamron 70-200 2.8 @100 ISO. It also has better bokeh IMO on a FF than my 24-70 Tamron. I will do more testing when I get home, but this lens is very usable on my 6D.

Hello, I just received my new Sigma 18-35 1.8 A and i noticed that the focus sound on live view on my T4i is not quite as the non-live view focus, do you have the same thing with your lens or my lens has a problem?

It makes tiny clicking sounds while focusing, but when i click on the shutter button in live mode it makes a very noticeable sound while trying to hunt the focus and the screen flickering to get the focus work, please try this on yours and feed me back as if a this normal behavior or not, i have tried this on AF tracking, single and multiple and it gives the same results

Now I have had this lens for a couple of months. I've been using it with a D 5300. Worst thing: it's heavy. But after you start getting the results it delivers, you forget about the weight all together. Let me just say this has become my every day lens for everything. As for sharpness. Hard to put in words. It's like you discovered what 24 mp can really do for the first time. Because you can open the lens to 1.8 you can literally have any dof and any bokeh you want. And low light: better than any dx prime and also flexible because of the zoom. I purchased the lens adjustment kit also, just to learn, but it turned out to be helpful getting my images a little sharper. Did I mention I love this lens?

I see. I am planning to get this lens tonight. I am not sure yet. I am hearing all sort of focusing issues on this lens and needs adjustment via dock. I had a sneak peak of the dock and i did not undersatnd what was going on. hehe. Is the software easy to use for calibrate the lens? Are there any specific settings that works well? My main objective is sharpness. I was debating with this lens and Canon 18-55mm F2.8

I use this on Canon 70d and cannot get the auto focus to work in a friendly way. I can easily point the focus one one point and have the camera confirm, but focus on a different point. When I look at the picture I see the focus point where expected, but focus is somewhere else. So problem of consistency is more than soft images when pointing to the target, the camera might focus o something else entirely.

1. Do anyone know the latest firmware for the 18-35 Canon lens?2. If I get USB dock to try to adjust focus (although it will not help with focus point errors most likely). When I set the distance, is the distance from the lens tip or camera body?3. The only way to focus seem to be live view, but there it might front focus a little. Will the in lens adjustment work equally regardless of PDAF or Live View?

To follow up myself inconsistent focus is experienced with EFS 17-55 2.8 IS on Canon EOS 70D. Focus on one thing with live view, having the camera focus elsewhere. In fact today the Viewfinder was more accurate.

I've got the 70D and the Sigma 18-35 and USB Dock.Unfortunatly the Sigma will not consistently focus with OVF even after MFA. But in truth from my experience thats not that bad because LiveView works 100% focus and being a wide to standard i usualy dont have dificulty in tracking the target.Video is very good.Even without being able to use the Sigma with the OVF, i would STILL BUY this lens. There no other option on the market.I mainly use it indoors without flash for shooting people (that are usually moving) so with shutter speeds of up to 1/125.That 1.8 means i can keep my ISO as low as possible and the DOF although shalow is acceptable (18mm@2m DOF=93cm and 35mm@2m DOF=23cm)

I have been using this lens for a while on a D7100.Its focus has been very accurate even at F1.8. I have used it in the studio and out in the field. As the DOF is so shallow at F1.8 it works far better in continuous focus mode when anything like close. As even the slightest movement will throw it out of focus !You do need to check carefully if shooting a landscape etc at F1.8.This is true of any fast lens. You simply just need to look at that tiny focus square and see what you are asking it to focus on !Slower lenses are fine because you are covering this with more DOF.Something to consider with this lens is that F1.8 is there if you need it and it is certainly usable ! Like any lens... it performs better when stopped down.I use this lens mostly at F2.8. The difference being is that at F2.8 the image quality is stunning already ! For low light and or people such as weddings this lens is simply unbeatable for APSC period !

Hello Westmill, I have just purchased a Nikon D5300 Body, and just purchased a Sigma 18-70mm 2.8, and on the way Sigma 18-35mm, i am a total novice, but i also looked on the Nikkor 16-85mm, but i want Brilliant Sharp, Images, I will only keep one for now, which should i choose , and why? Thanks for your quick Response.

Hi Andy: Great review. I have checked a few other places and asked specifically about the af issue, and heard only great reports on the AF. So I am going to take the plunge. This lens is really potentially a game changer. Really, where there is plenty of light, the APS-c cameras do just as well as the full frames. It is in low light where these cameras struggle, especially now they have gone to 24 mp. This lens gives full frame equivalent 24 to 52 mm which means that now there is a zoom lens that will cover all the sizes you need for everyday indoor photos of family and friends that is brighter than any equivalent ff zoom that I know of. Add to that the lens is sharper even than the work horse Nikon DX 35 mm 1.8...and you have a combination that will meet or beat the best from current full frames. It may mean a huge proportion of those who should have bought full frames will now not need to.

The 18-35 is an outstanding lens. However, unless you know exactly what you want, I believe this lenses short zoom range would frustrate most folk. Either the 16-85 or 18-140 would be a better option for most. Even the sheer size and weight can be a drag. For those like me that need it, then the 18-35 is worth its weight in gold :)

Well, I bought this primarily to use at 18mm f1.8 as a prime. There is nothing of this quality in a 20mm f1.8 prime at anywhere near the price - so the zoom is just a bonus. It will reside on my D7000. Same logic with my Tokina 116 - another magic lens.

It does not appear justifiable to me to criticise the lens for any AF issues, unless you have confirmed any issues with other cameras / mounts.

This isn't the first time I read about Canon AF being quicker than precise and maybe the camera you tested the lens with has additional issues.

Getting the best possible focus is the responsibility of the camera. Some lenses (usually through decentering or spherical aberration) make it impossible for the camera to achieve optimal focus. But a good copy, and in particular after micro-AF-adjustments that can deliver spot on AF, should do so every time (within small tolerances, of course).

If it doesn't, you are seeing the tolerances of the camera's AF system / algorithm.

So again, I don't see how you can blame inconsistent AF on a lens in the first place and before you have ruled out the particular camera you have used.

In fact you are mostly right, and I agree with you. It could be most probably problem on side of Canon. But still as Canon is not doing their cameras to be suitable with third party lenses, then the fact that third party lenses are made to be suitable with the particular brand (in this case Canon) make them responsible for all failures.

Even though they don't guarantee it works with all models, it will be appreciated if they be interested in this case, and either fix the issue if they can, or publish that the product is not suitable with particual model.

But ignoring the issue, which is being discussed among many customers, doesn't make issue gone. And even if it may work ecxellent on different models, still put some future customers into suspect and that harms the reputation of the product not fairly.

So being honest in this situation will help much to customers and also to company.

After reading many posts about 70D and Sigma 18-35mm having incosistent results I got disappointed, cause I also wanted to buy this lens to my 70D. Though I am not resident of Turkey, but I reside so I am also bonded to their rules. Here shops don't allow to test the lens before you buy. Fortunately there is demo item to test, but still not in all shops.

I asked 3 dealers and official importer of Sigma about focus issues of this combination, but all of them denied this. Telling only about pause in videos, which is also stated here in forum. They stated that problem is because lens has very high resolution so camera can't handle. But nothing about back or front focusing. For my luck one of them had demo item. and I did a test with different apertures.

And the test showed that there are issues. Then I did a simple test from short distancde and it showed back focusing issue. Would you believe - shop assistants were not even interested in the results. I suppose they are already knew.

This lens looks fantastic and if it were spec'd at true 18-35mm for FF cameras that would be awesome (because I no longer have a rebel)...but really the focal range for APS-C bodies is not 18-35, and it is not made for FF cameras due to vignetting all over the range. So why call it 18-35mm??

Very good review....and I'm relieved (if somewhat disappointed) to be hearing about other peoples AF issues. I bought this at the same time as my Canon EOS70D. For sure, its super sharp and a quality built lens. But there is definitely a compatibility issue - many of my shots were missed. This happened under all different types of lighting, slow and fast moving objects. AF was random....maybe 2 out 20 shots were what I would consider impressively sharp. The rest looked about as impressive as any modern camera phone. For me, this turned into a deal breaker...I just got fed up of missing shots. The lens is amazing when it hits it...but it just didn't happen often enough for me. Originally I thought I had a defective lens. I never did micro adjustments...but from what I can gather its not the silver bullet fix people claim. All I can say is don't expect too much from AF. In manual mode...that's another story :)

Can you tell me which country you got your F-mount 18-35 sigma in and when you got it?I paid cash for one about 2 months ago and am still waiting.Sorta getting annoyed would be curious to know where they have landed. I like to support my bricks and mortar shops but this is getting silly.

I got my lens in Finland, on 23th Oct., Rajala Pro Shop, Kuopio. Now it seems this lens is widely available in different stores here. BTW, I checked the microadjustment of my D7000, and now the focus is in good level ! Purchasing the USB-dock for further bodies and Sigma- lenses.

Im having the same issue with my D7000 and this lens. At very close range (within 3ft) it performs really well at any zoom range. As the distance between the camera and my subject increases, the focus seems to create a back focus issue.i have been playing with the usb dock micro adjustments and i cant get it right. Let me know if you find the correct adjustmentThank you

I have had this lens now for one week and have the same issues that you have been complaining about with my d7000 and d5100. Inconsistent focus. Great sometimes and out at others. I ordered the USB Dock but haven't received it yet as usps messed up. When I compare the focus of this lens with my 50 f1.8g, I find that the 50mm tries harder on a difficult subject but gets it right while this one confirms focus quickly and often gets it wrong. I have been trying different modes and surprisingly I find it noticeably more consistent using continuous focus mode when focusing on stationary objects. The only drawback is no focus assist light, but it is so bright it does fairly well in conditions that will normally require focus assist

Yes, I am experiencing the same focus problem. Particually, I have some finding that this inaccurated focusing might be seen when the shooting distance longer than 1M. It seems to be under controll when shooting less than 1M. By the way, the significant focus shifted can be seen at 18mm and can be fixed by using the USB Dock.

It worked for me too!!!!! Crazy. I have the feeling that the Servo AF during video shooting somehow messes up the focusing system and then it needs to be "re-callibrated" via method you described.Anyway it's a relief to get constantly sharp photos. I can finally enjoy my lens (a bit). Shooting photos in Live view (where the auto-focus works great) is only good for occasional family photos...

Hi there, I recently bought the 70D and the Sigma 18-35mm....wanted to love the lens but got very frustrated about its inability to consistently get the focus right...I am still in the process of figuring out how to improve it while shooting wide open and am not done testing. However I think it may be related to a very thin focus pane in combination with the way the 70D focusses...see here for more info. http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canon-eos-70d/9 I am hesitant to buy the USB hardware for the sigma lens. Also I have already micro-adjusted the lens +20 on both near and far....I hopeI can figure out a way to solve this quickly otherwise I may end up returning the lens....it is just too frustrating to miss focus in so many shots, especially indoors....BTW - I wonder why Sigma has responded to this issue yet....

Tested again today at 18 and 35, shooting full daylight f1.8. 70d with +18 micro compensation near and far set last night. (See below.) First a couple of manual focus live view shots, then auto alternating near and far focus distance. (On all these shots I'm using "One Shot" single central focus point on the 70d.) The live view shots are very sharp, the infinity focus shots are randomly slightly soft, the near and mid focus shots were mostly very soft, very off. (The USB dock might correct this.) AI Servo did better on the mid shots, bringing most into focus, but the long shots were more randomly softer.

I can deal with the USB dock, but don't think I can justify an $800 lens that viewfinder focuses randomly. I also originally thought this would be a superb video lens, but with the sensitivity of the manual focus there's no way I could do an accurate focus pull, or even reliably focus without a lot of sweat. (Haven't tried relying on the auto focus for movies. That's a new thing.)

Played with my new 18-35 on my 70d tonight, trying to understand the focus difficulty. First, my lens required +18 near and far micro in the body to focus "correctly". (Tested by matching live view focus with viewfinder focus, then iterating with view focus.) I then simply banged off shots across the room (~25') at a clock on the wall, all at f1.8, either at 35 or 18mm, since they were the only focal lengths for which the lens was corrected. Sure enough I got random variations in focus of about +/- 2 microadjusts, (subjective scale,) regardless of focal length. Near, far, no difference.

AI servo was better, but still the occasional miss, though I think the error was perceptibly smaller. (Maybe +/- 1 micro?)

What I noticed, when manually focusing using live view, was that the difference between focused and not was an incredibly small barrel rotation. It's possible the focus motor simply doesn't have sufficient resolution. Maybe ML can come up with a dithering scheme.

Has anyone received the Nikon version of this lens from B&H or Adorama? I visited them both at the PhotoExpo in NY and both said that they have not received any yet. Yet, Sigma said that they have, hmmmm :( Got a chance to try it out though at the Sigma booth and its a beast of a lens. Can't wait to get one!

I order it at the PhotoPlus Show in NYC from Sammy's camera. They had 1 in stock. Received in on monday. I got the USB dock from B&H yesterday since i was having trouble getting accurate focus on both my D7000 and D600. The lens is impressively sharp at 1.8 WHEN IT FOCUS CORRECTLY! I spent about 2hrs yesterday playing with the micro adjustments and i still cant get it right. Focus is pretty accurate until you try focusing on something that is about 10ft and behond. I hope i can get this issue solved otherwise i will have to send it back. I will be field testing it at a sweet sixteen and a baptism this weekend. Send me a message and i will let you know how it went.If you want one, place a pre order with Allens camera in PA. They have been getting one copy every 2 to 3 weeks.

ISO is just a way to achieve the best SNR (noise level). Actually sensor counts the number of photons and at f1.8 APS-C sensor receives the same amount as FF sensor. If both sensors receive the same photon number they theoretically should have the same SNR (no advantage to anyone) It is still possible that internal implementation of the sensors or incorrect exposure will create some difference in actual SNR levels.

There's a comment in the introduction part of this review that doesn't make sense to me. I think it's wrong, but perhaps I'm missing something. Dpreview states, "it will also offer effectively the same light-gathering capability as an F2.8 lens on full frame", "meaning the same total amount of light is used to capture the image", "APS-C shooters will be able to use lower ISOs... substantially negating one of the key advantages of switching to full frame."

The total light has nothing to do with the exposure, it's the intensity of light (light per unit area) at the sensor that matters (right?). A smaller sensor doesn't mean you need a higher ISO to shoot at the same equivalent exposure. If that were the case the center of a FF would be 1 stop darker than the rest by the above logic.

It *IS* true that an f/1.8 will allow you to use a lower ISO than an f/2.8 but exposure wise f/2.8 is the same on FF or crop sensor. FOV and DOF are obviously different from crop to FF, just not exposure.

Yeah, just get some ideas from the Professional like you, so any suggestion for all around lens to my 6D except 24-70mm of canon & tamron they are costly.. what about the kit 24-105 but it was an old model. thanks for your reply Andy, hope you can help me to have a usable lens which is not soooo expensive : )

By Hans van de Riet@laimbert3270When buying a Sigma lens the convention for a lens suitable for FF is "DG", which can be used for APS-C as well and the convention for a lens suitable for APS-C only is "DC" This applies, for as far as I know, only for Sigma lenses. So remember a "DC" lens you cannot use for a FF camera.If you look at point " 4. test results" you will find what I am talking about.

I have tested this lens on my Canon 6D. It does undergo vignetting, but it is correctable. This lens is usable on a FF from 24-35. At 1.8, it does gather more light towards the center than my Tamron 24-70 SP 2.8 and Tamron 70-200 2.8 @100 ISO. It also has better bokeh IMO on a FF than my 24-70 Tamron. I will do more testing when I get home, but this lens is very usable on my 6D.

I have the 70d and had the sigma 1.8 18-35 but returned it yesterday because the auto focus was horrible. I thought I had a defective unit, but after reading the updated review, maybe not. Admittedly I was trying to test focus using the viewfinder, and maybe it might be better in liveview, but frankly taking photos in live view isn't that great on the 70d because of the slow recycle times. I also don't have the USB disk so maybe that may have helped, but out of the box, anyway, it was unusable for me. In retrospect, I wish I played with the micro adjustment a bit more, but compared with the kit 18-135 lens, it was so bad I thought it must be defective.

Went out shooting like any other day with my 70D and the auto focus missed too often. I never shot below 1/125 sec. The colour and contrast was very nice and when it hit, the images were beautiful. What's the point of having f/1.8 if the hit rate for keepers is so low. I returned mine as well. After reading this review, I was reluctant to try another copy. Too bad, I really wanted to like this lens.

I don't understand why sigma wouldn't calibrate the lenses better at the factory. Instead they offer a separate dock to calibrate it stand alone (without camera body) so that it can focus properly. I don't get it, do they expect that most people that buy this lens would buy a separate appliance to do something that should be done before it ships out? I had really high expectations for this lens based on all the previews. Maybe I'll give it another shot in the future if the problem is fixed, but for now, it sucks being the guinea pig.

I'd have liked to see it on a D7100, to see if the better AF on the Nikon would have helped its performance. I'd hate to have a good lens that is inconsistent re AF. Other relevant issu is flare, my Sigma (17-50mm f/2.8) is not that good in that respect, this one looks a bit better (but flare is ugly when it shows, with that greenish tint that is the same as in my Sigma).

Excuse me for sounding dense, but isn't autofocus a function of the camera? How can you blame a lens for the shortcomings of the cameras autofocus system inability to lock on to the proper focus point? Also wouldn't a 51 point focus system behave differently than the camera AF you just tested?

@ yabokkie,I think your comment is inappropriate and show an incredible incomprehension of how works a digital camera. Perhaps you should learn how it works before adding comment that do not add any value to a post.

No, it's not only a body issue. AF uses camera-lens comm and lots of calculations. I have tested carefully the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 and compared it to the Nikkor 35mm f/2, and the Nikkor performs much better re AF consistency and accuracy compared to the Sigma.

@Eric Ouellet, just ask yourself why we should ever need an AF lens which may be a good starting point and read something about the EOS system and EF lens design (AF changed the way we design lenses and it's still one of the major factors behind new lens designs).

@yabokkie, you are right here (AF drive way to design lenses and partly other aspect of the internal of the body). The only point that disturbed me very much is that you said :"AF has to be a lens issue in the first place." where you are totally wrong (at least for this lens, and most cases). Reading the canon EOS 70D review conclusion on this web site should confirm you what I'm saying. It is the camera who read focus and tell the lenses where to go. Bad reading from the camera itself (body) results in bad focus (not accurate).

I've used this lens for a wedding and have to say that I really do not agree with the micro focussing comments in the review. It is a superb lens with amazing optical quality, a very usable f1.8 at all focal lengths, and spot-on focus in all light levels and for a wide variety of contrast levels. Out of 800 images I only had a handful that were blurred or soft focused. Maybe I've got a good one and the reviewer had a bad one, but from my own real world use it is a stunning lens!

How is it re flare? The DPR tests says it's good, but that's my main problem with the otherwise very good Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 on the D7000. Even a sideways brigh window may cause ugly greenish flare that is absent when I use even the cheapest kit lenses.

More about gear in this article

We're at the CP+ show in Japan this week and one of the busiest stands belongs to Sigma. Best known for manufacturing lenses, Sigma is showing off its latest camera, the dp2 Quattro. Editor Barnaby Britton sat down with Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, for a chat about the Quattro, as well as the challenges of the modern photography industry and what it's like being the head of a family business.

We're at the CP+ show in Japan this week, where Editor Barnaby Britton sat down with Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, for a chat about the dp2 Quattro, as well as the challenges of the modern photography industry and what it's like being the head of a family business.

Before Christmas, we asked you to vote for your favorite cameras and lenses in five categories. We announced the category winners earlier this year and created a final poll to find what - in your opinion - was the single standout product of 2013. Click through for a reminder of the category winners and to find out which of the winning products was your choice for 2013 product of the year!

Last month you voted for the best gear in five categories, and now's your chance to let us know which of the winning products was the most impressive. The poll stays open until the end of this month, and if you haven't voted yet this is your chance! Click through for a look at the 2013 category winners from our five classes, and a chance to cast your vote.

Last month you voted for the best gear in five categories, and now's your chance to let us know which of the winning products was the most impressive. With almost 30,000 votes cast already we know that you've got plenty of opinions about which cameras and lenses stood out, but we want more! We want to know which one you thought was the absolute best. Click through for a look at the category winners from our five classes, and a chance to cast your vote!

Latest in-depth reviews

The Fujifilm X-H1 is a top-of-the-range 24MP mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization and the company's most advanced array of video capabilities. We've tested the X-T2's big brother extensively to see how it performs.

Panasonic's Lumix DC-GX9 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera that offers quite a few upgrades over its predecessor, with a lower price tag to boot. We've spent the weekend with the GX9 and have plenty of thoughts to share, along with an initial set of sample photos.

Panasonic's new premium compact boasts a 24-360mm equiv. F3.3-6.4 zoom lens, making it the longest reaching 1"-type pocket camera on the market. We spent a little time with it; read our first impressions.

Latest buying guides

Quick. Unpredictable. Unwilling to sit still. Kids really are the ultimate test for a camera's autofocus system. We've compiled a short list of what we think are the best options for parents trying to keep up with young kids, and narrowed it down to one best all-rounder.

Landscape photography isn't as simple as just showing up in front of a beautiful view and taking a couple of pictures. Landscape shooters have a unique set of needs and requirements for their gear, and we've selected some of our favorites in this buying guide.

If you're a serious enthusiast or working pro, the very best digital cameras on the market will cost you at least $2000. That's a lot of money, but generally speaking these cameras offer the highest resolution, the best build quality and the most advanced video specs out there, as well as fast burst rates and top-notch autofocus.

Are you a speed freak? Hungry to photograph anything that goes zoom? Or perhaps you just want to get Sports Illustrated level shots of your child's soccer game. Keep reading to find out which cameras we think are best for sports and action shooting.

At this year's CP+ show in Yokohama, we sat down with senior executives from several major manufacturers, including Canon. Topics of conversation included Canon's ambitions for high-end mirrorless cameras, and the importance of responding to the demands of the smartphone generation.

We were recently able to follow local frame builder Max Kullaway as he created one of his AirLandSea bikes. Here are our picks of the photos we got, as the project progressed from bare tubes all the way to rideable bicycle.

On paper, the Sony a7 III is a tempting option for photographers who've been considering a switch to full-frame mirrorless. But how does its image quality stack up? We compare it to the Mark II and a few of its other peers.

Google Lens uses artificial intelligence and 'computer vision' to identify and provide information about businesses, landmarks and other objects using your phone's camera. And now it's available for iPhone users, too.

In the job posting, the Times' describes this role as "one of the most important and high-profile jobs in visual journalism." If you're looking for a high profile job in photojournalism, you could do a lot worse than being Photo Director at The Gray Lady.

According to a recent report out of South Korea, Samsung is increasing production of its ISOCELL image sensors in a bid towards market leadership for image sensors. To reach this goal, Samsung will have to dethrone current market leader Sony... no small task.

In this video, large format photographer Ben Horne shows off the incredible resolving power of 8x10 slide film by pixel peeping a massive 709.6-megapixel drum scan of one of his landscape shots. And you thought 100MP medium format was big...

Photographer Wendy Teal tells the heart-breaking story of a wedding she shot at a hospital on just 24-hours notice. The mother of the bride had been given one week to live, and Wendy responded to the couple's desperate social media plea for someone to capture their special day.

Syrp has announced the Magic Carpet Pro: a slider that offers filmmakers an 'infinitely extendable' range thanks to built-in track levers that let you connect lengths of track without the use of tools.

At CP+ we sat down with executives from several major manufacturers. Among them was Kenji Tanaka, of Sony, who talked to us about the a7 III as well as its plans to attract more pro shooters – without ignoring APS-C and entry-level customers.

How do you shoot macro photography on an 18x24cm large format wet plate camera? You 'connect' two large format cameras together! That's how wet plate photographer Markus Hofstaetter did it, and you can read about the whole process in this article.

The Fujifilm X-H1 is a top-of-the-range 24MP mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization and the company's most advanced array of video capabilities. We've tested the X-T2's big brother extensively to see how it performs.

Motorsports photojournalist Jamey Price recently flew to Canada with Lamborghini for the car company's Winter Accademia 2018, where clients get to drive the latest Lamborghini supercars on snow and ice. Yes... it is exactly as awesome as it sounds.

For the Pixel 2 smartphone's Motion Photos feature, Google built on its existing Motion Stills technology by adding advanced stabilization that combines software and hardware capabilities to optimize trimming and stabilization.

"After his camera was stolen from his room in the orphanage, he switched to an iPhone for his photography, reasoning that the image quality of a big, heavy camera was less important than the freedom of a cell phone. 'Quality? Screw it, I’d sketch things with a pencil if I could draw,' he wrote in a blog post."

Chinese manufacturer Vivo has announced some AI-powered Super HDR tech to compete with Google's HDR+ system. Both systems combine multiple images to create a final shot with more dynamic range and less noise, but Super HDR claims to do so more intelligently.

The 'semantic image segmentation model' categorizes every pixel in an image and assigns it a label, such as “road”, “sky”, “person” or “dog.” And now, Google has released its latest version as open source, making it available to any developers whose apps could benefit from the tech.

Fuji's latest firmware update for the GFX 50S adds two new features: a focus stacking mode, and a 35mm format mode that takes 30.5MP photos using the center portion of the camera's medium format sensor.

The crash has raised serious questions about 'startling safety gaps' in the doors-off photo tour industry. After a brief safety video, passengers are strapped in with heavy-duty harnesses and given only a knife to cut themselves loose in case of emergency.

For the first time in five years, Adobe is raising the price of some Creative Cloud subscription packages. The good news for photographers: The $10/month CC Photography plan that includes Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, and Lightroom Classic CC will stay the same.